Russ Brandon Article

[Guest dog14787]

Why the negativity? Why don't we give the guy a chance? I can't see that he's done anything to deserve your scorn? So what if his primary background is in marketing?

 

Butler was a scout by trade -- and did a decent job acquiring talent (until he didn't care anymore and botched the last couple of drafts), but (with all due respect to the departed) he was also a HORRIBLE business manager -- which placed the team in a tough position financially. Has everyone forgotten the cap hell he left behind?

 

Donahoe tends to be vilified here -- and he deserves it for 5 non-playoff seasons and two bad coaching hires. However, he did a very good job of cleaning up the salary cap mess and placing the franchise back on solid financial footing. I think his biggest problem is that -- whether it is true or not -- he was at least perceived as an autocrat. Thus, Ralph responded by hiring Marv (and then Brandon) as consensus builders.

 

I think it is unfair to suggest that Jauron's staying on board shows that Ralph doesn't have Brandon's ear. The reason given for keeping Jauron on hand is that the team wanted to maintain a level of continuity. If that is true, it stands to reason that the entire inner circle was involved in the decision to keep Jauron on hand. If it isn't true -- and everyone is just saying the politically correct thing to cover for Ralph's financial decision to keep Jauron and forgo having to pay him his contract on top of a new coach's contract, I don't see how you can suggest that is Brandon's fault.

 

I am not saying that Brandon will be the next Bill Polian, either. I simply have not seen enough to make me believe that he is the answer one way or the other -- and neither have you.

 

 

 

If you look at the Buffalo Bills organization as a whole, you have inexperienced, unproven personnel trying to do jobs they are not qualified for throughout the organization. To me, no matter how hard they all work, its a recipe for disaster.

 

We bring in Marv Levy to fix things and to turn the organization around, but instead of making him a Head coach we turn him into a GM, something Levy hated and clearly didn't have a clue at doing.

 

I have always stood behind Ralph Wilson and I always will because to me, he is the Buffalo Bills and I'm sure many of you feel the same way, but he's the only one that can change this cycle of failure after failure. Men like Bill Cowher are out there and Ralph Wilson can change everything by making one or two key personnel moves.

 

If we fail to make the playoffs again this year I hope he's prepared to make them.

[Steely Dan]

What are you talking about? Gibbs played high school and college football, and then worked his way up the coaching ranks the hard way.

 

Brandon doesn't have football background, he played on a joke college team, that is not a football background.

 

You haven't answered my question, would Brandon be hired as GM on any other NFL team?

 

I'll answer for you, no he wouldn't, the other NFL teams want to build winning teams to market, not marketable teams that will hopefully win.

 

Other NFL GMs don't need articles in the local paper to boost their lacking credentials.

 

When Marv Levy was hired as HC he had a lot of articles written about him and not all were favorable. Brandon has had one year at the helm and you're ready to lynch him? Jeez Louise you're impatient. So far he's done a great job with personnel. JMO

[Williams+Williams+Williams]

Would Brandon be the GM of any other team in the NFL?

 

 

No! Russ Brandon is a marketing guy. Why do you think he got T.O.? Why are we playing games in Toronto?

 

Russ Brandon is not a football guy, he's a marketing guy. Russ' background is marketing. Just because Russ Brandon played 2 sports in college does not mean he's a football guy. I'm guessing his two sports were swimming and tennis. Russ obviously doesn't understand football - Just like the rest of you experts on this blog who spend 10 hours a day writing your irrelevant opinions. For example, The Dean. What are you "The Dean" of? Nothing? Because apparently you have the time to sit here and write 10 page blogs and spell check everyone else's blogs - Loser.

 

You 'All Pro' bojacks can have fun collecting unemployment, sucking at life, spending 12 hours a day on a Bills blog, and being Bills analysits.

 

I'm done with this half-a-fan/fag sight. Spell check that, Dean!

[Magox]

No! Russ Brandon is a marketing guy. Why do you think he got T.O.? Why are we playing games in Toronto?

 

Russ Brandon is not a football guy, he's a marketing guy. Russ' background is marketing. Just because Russ Brandon played 2 sports in college does not mean he's a football guy. I'm guessing his two sports were swimming and tennis. Russ obviously doesn't understand football - Just like the rest of you experts on this blog who spend 10 hours a day writing your irrelevant opinions. For example, The Dean. What are you "The Dean" of? Nothing? Because apparently you have the time to sit here and write 10 page blogs and spell check everyone else's blogs - Loser.

 

You 'All Pro' bojacks can have fun collecting unemployment, sucking at life, spending 12 hours a day on a Bills blog, and being Bills analysits.

 

I'm done with this half-a-fan/fag sight. Spell check that, Dean!

maybe this will help

 

http://suicidehotlines.com/

[BillsNYC]

Why the negativity? Why don't we give the guy a chance? I can't see that he's done anything to deserve your scorn? So what if his primary background is in marketing?

 

Cuz I want to win while the Bills are still here, not be a half assed marketing ploy to buy time until Ralph dies and the team is sold off. That's all Brandon is. No team building a solid football program for long term success would hand the reigns over to a marketing guy. He was handed the reigns because he's a stopgap. My scorn is directed at Ralph, its not Brandon's fault he's in the position he's in, I mean good for him, but Brandon being in the position he's in is not a good thing for the Bills long term.

[May Day 10]

I am in the school of thought that in order for the Bills to turn the organization around on the field (which would translate to better $), they need to enlist the services of a Parcells or a Cowher. Someone who could take the reins and commit to a true direction. Too bad Donahoe was an idiot

[Leonidas]

No! Russ Brandon is a marketing guy. Why do you think he got T.O.? Why are we playing games in Toronto?

 

Russ Brandon is not a football guy, he's a marketing guy. Russ' background is marketing. Just because Russ Brandon played 2 sports in college does not mean he's a football guy. I'm guessing his two sports were swimming and tennis. Russ obviously doesn't understand football - Just like the rest of you experts on this blog who spend 10 hours a day writing your irrelevant opinions. For example, The Dean. What are you "The Dean" of? Nothing? Because apparently you have the time to sit here and write 10 page blogs and spell check everyone else's blogs - Loser.

 

You 'All Pro' bojacks can have fun collecting unemployment, sucking at life, spending 12 hours a day on a Bills blog, and being Bills analysits.

 

I'm done with this half-a-fan/fag sight. Spell check that, Dean!

 

You sound like I did the other night. I thought it was from the spine surgery; now I think it may just be a by-product of living in Greater Boston...

[SuperKillerRobots]

having Russ Brandon making personnel decisions/provided input is a joke

 

Why? I don't get how anyone on this board can rate the guys performance at all. The guy went to school and played two sports. Has been a part of a major sports franchise since 1997. Won accolades ever since he has been in the league. He has also had the chance to learn what seems to be a good majority of the operations - both personnel and team management - and seems to get good reviews from everyone who talks about him. He wants to learn and must be doing something right if he has been around this long. Who the hell is sitting in the room with him and the rest of the inner circle and 1. knows his opinions from those of the other people there and 2. can then judge his opinions as good or bad?

 

Also, what has he done so far to make it seem like he is incompetent or a joke? He doesn't come off as an idiot. He hasn't done anything that was really terrible. It looks like he might even have made some good moves.

 

What the hell?

[May Day 10]

I used to work for him.

[Andrew Mills]

maybe this will help

 

http://suicidehotlines.com/

 

let him go... it'll be easier for everyone.

[Williams+Williams+Williams]

I used to work for him.

 

 

I work him

[Williams+Williams+Williams]

Why? I don't get how anyone on this board can rate the guys performance at all. The guy went to school and played two sports. Has been a part of a major sports franchise since 1997. Won accolades ever since he has been in the league. He has also had the chance to learn what seems to be a good majority of the operations - both personnel and team management - and seems to get good reviews from everyone who talks about him. He wants to learn and must be doing something right if he has been around this long. Who the hell is sitting in the room with him and the rest of the inner circle and 1. knows his opinions from those of the other people there and 2. can then judge his opinions as good or bad?

 

Also, what has he done so far to make it seem like he is incompetent or a joke? He doesn't come off as an idiot. He hasn't done anything that was really terrible. It looks like he might even have made some good moves.

 

What the hell?

 

3. Russ Brandon wears a skirt. 4. Settle the Jason Peters issue - last year. 5. Letting go of Angelo Crowell when we have Jason Ellison as a backup is the worst move ever - last year. Knee surgery or not, Ellison is the worst starter in the NFL. Signing TO is desperation (I like the move) yet still desparation.

 

Brandon, Schonert, Jauron = suck ass triple combo.

 

We need a man like Bill Parcells or Bill Cowher to revamp our entire franchise. Until then, we will suck along with the rest of you unemployed bloggers.

[Williams+Williams+Williams]

maybe this will help

 

http://suicidehotlines.com/

 

 

Did it help you? Weak ass genetics. Too bad you didnt kill yourself.

[BillsVet]

Cuz I want to win while the Bills are still here, not be a half assed marketing ploy to buy time until Ralph dies and the team is sold off. That's all Brandon is. No team building a solid football program for long term success would hand the reigns over to a marketing guy. He was handed the reigns because he's a stopgap. My scorn is directed at Ralph, its not Brandon's fault he's in the position he's in, I mean good for him, but Brandon being in the position he's in is not a good thing for the Bills long term.

 

 

Everything will be revealed someday, but having Brandon there is Ralph's answer to hiring a legitimate GM. The franchise has been buying time since Donahoe was canned, first with Levy and now Brandon. They refuse to run the team like the other 31 clubs, and the product on the field will suffer as long as non-football people make football decisions.

 

I don't hate Brandon. But I don't like the idea that someone who was devising marketing schemes a few years ago is going up against Bill Belichick, Bill Parcells, and the strongest football minds in the game. When you compare him to those guys, I don't care how many tidbits he got from Butler, it's not enough. Becoming a great personnel guy takes years of working in the arena.

[BillsNYC]

Everything will be revealed someday, but having Brandon there is Ralph's answer to hiring a legitimate GM. The franchise has been buying time since Donahoe was canned, first with Levy and now Brandon. They refuse to run the team like the other 31 clubs, and the product on the field will suffer as long as non-football people make football decisions.

 

I don't hate Brandon. But I don't like the idea that someone who was devising marketing schemes a few years ago is going up against Bill Belichick, Bill Parcells, and the strongest football minds in the game. When you compare him to those guys, I don't care how many tidbits he got from Butler, it's not enough. Becoming a great personnel guy takes years of working in the arena.

 

That's what I would have liked to have said, thank you!

[Lurker]

Anybody else read that and relate it to having a coworker's little kid in the office and letting him sit at your desk for a few minutes to let him feel like an adult?

And Bill Polian started out as a "Mel Kiper" wannabe putting out player evaluations with his brother.

 

Why can't Brandon (or even a fair percentage of this MB--well, on second thought...) have the ability to develop good personnel judgement skills over time if given access to NFL-quality scouting info and opinions? It's not rocket surgery...it's a crap shoot.

[Lurker]

I used to work for him.

Uh huh. How much did he pay to have his sidewalk shoveled?

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Look, people are criticizing Brandon and Jauron here. Who hired who? Ralph Wilson hired everone in the organization either directly or indirectly. If anyone is to blame it's Ralph.

 

This team has a .475 winning percentage in 50 years. Take away the 4 head coaches in our history who've had winning careers with the team and this team has a .322 winning percentage.

 

This team has had 19 winning seasons in 50 years.

 

If you want to criticize Brandon and Jauron that's fine but it has to be done within the context of the incompetent, dysfunctional organization that Ralph Wilson has 'built" here.

 

It all starts at the top. You don't like Brandon? Ask Ralph to hire someone else. As for Brandon and his offseason, I'll reserve judgement until at least the end of this offseason. He'll have been on the job for 20 months by then.

 

 

3. Russ Brandon wears a skirt. 4. Settle the Jason Peters issue - last year. 5. Letting go of Angelo Crowell when we have Jason Ellison as a backup is the worst move ever - last year. Knee surgery or not, Ellison is the worst starter in the NFL. Signing TO is desperation (I like the move) yet still desparation.

 

Brandon, Schonert, Jauron = suck ass triple combo.

 

We need a man like Bill Parcells or Bill Cowher to revamp our entire franchise. Until then, we will suck along with the rest of you unemployed bloggers.

 

 

Let me repeat...it all starts with Ralph.

[The Dean]

Everything will be revealed someday, but having Brandon there is Ralph's answer to hiring a legitimate GM. The franchise has been buying time since Donahoe was canned, first with Levy and now Brandon. They refuse to run the team like the other 31 clubs, and the product on the field will suffer as long as non-football people make football decisions.

 

I don't hate Brandon. But I don't like the idea that someone who was devising marketing schemes a few years ago is going up against Bill Belichick, Bill Parcells, and the strongest football minds in the game. When you compare him to those guys, I don't care how many tidbits he got from Butler, it's not enough. Becoming a great personnel guy takes years of working in the arena.

 

If that were. remotely, the case, I would share your concern. Brandon works in conjunction with Jauron, Modrak, Guy, and even Ralph...all of whom have YEARS of experience in evaluating NFL talent. Now, you may not like their decisions, but suggesting the Bills have a newbie, while other teams have experienced NFL guys making the decisions, suggest you still don't understand how the Bills FO works. There is plenty of experience there.

[BillsVet]

If that were. remotely, the case, I would share your concern. Brandon works in conjunction with Jauron, Modrak, Guy, and even Ralph...all of whom have YEARS of experience in evaluating NFL talent. Now, you may not like their decisions, but suggesting the Bills have a newbie, while other teams have experienced NFL guys making the decisions, suggest you still don't understand how the Bills FO works. There is plenty of experience there.

 

Dean, the results aren't there to prove this point. The consensus based approach has produced three consecutive 7-9 seasons. This season Buffalo will struggle to make the playoffs, although it's not out of the question.

 

The question is not about experience, just experience in the right place among the "senior football" people. If Brandon is making decisions, it's a gamble to think he's going to learn quickly enough on the job. In a division with the free spending Jets, Belichick and Parcells, that's not comforting to me.